Wheelless four-tools-in-one disk implement



' WHEELLESS FOUR-TOOLS-IN-ONE DISK IMPLEMENT Filed Feb. 1s, 1942 Y ssheets-sheet 1 Y f l Z0 ./O 30* 27 w 6) f@ 26 30 u g5 32 n nn,... L ,A'l y 2b K mf? ila" 30 l I .hc 50 7i 35? 52 `3/ v .37v I N 5/ a/ l,

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Non 23, 1943. l l w F MCMAHON 2,335,156

WHEELLESS FOURTOOLSINONE DISK IMPLEMENT Filed Febf `1:5, '1942 1 ssheets-sheet 2 "d" "e" if" 2? 5o INVENTQR,A

Nov. 23, 1943. w. F. lMQMAHON 2,335,156

WHEELLESS FOUR-TOOLS-IN-ON DISK IMPLEMENT n Filed Feb. 1s, 1942 y ssheets-shears INVENT R.

Patented Nov. 23, 1943 WHEELLEss `Form-'roots1N-ONE msx IMPLEMENTWilliamA Frederick McMahon, Riverside, Calif. n Application February 13,1942, Serial No. 430,768 Y u f 9 claims. (ci. 55-73) t My inventionrelates to disk harrows and more v particularly to a wheellessfour-inone disk implement constructed to perform the function ofharrowing, ridging, furrowing and ditching.

Heretofore all disk harrows werermounted on i wheels made an integralpart ofthe disk harrow itself in order to provide means for adjustingthe depth of penetration of the disks therein. or in the event the diskharrow was not so mounted on wheels then the entire weight of the latterconstruction came upon the very soil it was cultivating and said weightcaused a plowsole or hard-pan to form.- These heretofore disk harrowswere very ineftlclentconstructions because they served to packunderneath the very soil they were cultivating on top. In the 'formermentioned construction, mounted on wheels, heavy and complicatedadjusting mechanisms had to be resorted to and made an integral part ofthe' disk harrow itself. This heavy adjusting mechanism obviously addedweight to the respective heretofore disk harrows and increased thehardness of the plow-sole. Obviously, both of these heretofore types ofconstruction were drawn by tractors having wheels but they were notconstructed to be carried on the wheels of the tractors. My improveddisk harrow is constructed so that its weight is carried on the wheelsof the tractor which draws it and a new result, the elimination of thementioned hard-pan or plow-sole, is provided thereby. I will hereafteruse the term wheel-less" i to distinguish my improvement with its newresult from that which was formerly used. .All4

heretofore disk narrows, having wheels made an integral part thereof,regulated the depth of these disk implements require individual mounteddisks in the harrow that they are converted from and no heretofore` diskharrow` had individual mounted disks.

Itis an object, of this improvement, to provide a simple singleconstruction unit which can be used to perform the work heretofore doneby four or more disk' implements. l

It is also an object of this improvement to provide a single disk unitcapable of doing the work of furrowing, ridging, ditchingand harrowing.

It is also an object ofthis improvement to 'provide a disk implementcomprising parts constructed to form a disk harrow and then, with noVextraY parts. it can'quickly be made into either a, ridger or a furroweror a ditcher and Aquickly reconverted into either of the iour saidimplements. Y Y

A further object is to provide an efficient soil cultivating diskimplement for use in orchard, field and vineyard work.

A further object is to provide a wheel-less disk implement with aclose-up hitch connected to al simplified hooking and power lift,adapted to provides-even controlled soil penetration at any desireddepth with least draft.

penetration of their disks in direct relationship with their said wheelsand independent of the tractor wheels whereas, I regulate the depth ofpenetration of my disks in direct relationship with the tractor wheelsand by so doing create my new result above mentioned. My improvementfurther resides solely in disk harrows hav--` ing two parallel opposedgangs of-disks and the conception of utilizing my respective disk harrowconstruction to do the work of ridging, middlebusting, iurrowing andditching without having to resort to extra elements from those used inthe basic disk harrow and without departure from the basic mode ofoperation thereof and new result above mentioned.

`Without my disk harrow construction of two parallel gangs of opposeddisks I obviously could not convert the harrow into a furrower or aridger or a middle-buster or a ditcher because and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims heretoappended, it being understood that various `changes in the form,proportion, design, size and details of construction may be resorted toby those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit or intentof this invention.

Similar characters of referencedenote like or correspondingpartsthroughout the several gures of the accompanying drawings forming a partof this specification and upon which;

Figure `1 is a plan view of the disk implement arranged as a diskharrow.

Figure 2 is a. plan View of the same disk implement arranged as a diskfurrower.

Figure 3 is a plan view ofthe same diskimplement arranged as a `diskridger.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the same disk implement arranged as a diskditcher.

Figure is a longitudinal side elevation showing the disk implementpenetrated into'the soil and the particular lifting linkage system andits method of connection with a. tractor.

Figure 6 is a similar longitudinal elevation showing the disk implementraised out of the soil andthe position of the lifting linkage system inthis operation.

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation through the disk bearingassembly.

Referring in 4detail to the characters of refery ence marked upon thedrawings,`8 represents a Vconventional tractor having a conventionalpower take-off shaft 9. Y

-The wellknown elements comprising the operating mechanisms of aconventional tractor, viz.,

the engine, gear transmission, differential gearing, driveshafts, powertake-off shaft mechanlsms and/or hydraulic lifting mechanisms and theother various well known elements thereof,1

are not shown nor described because itis thought that they are so wellknown, that further illus- 'trationand/or description'would besuperfluous.

My improvement is, basically, a novel, new and distinctfo-ur-tools-in-one disk implement adapted to be used with conventionaltractors having mechanical or hydraulic lifts.

Itis also well known that various conventional Y -ventional hydraulicand/or mechanical lifting mechanisms incorporated as standard equipmentin the various conventional tractors.\ While' the drawbar horsepower ofthe said tractors is such that many commercial implements can be pulled,yet thev lifting power'of the hydraulic and/or mechanical lifts, on theconventional tractors, prevents or limits the use of said commercialimplements. This feature hinders or stops many sales of conventionaltractors with lifts. To overcome this limitation in the lifting of heavyimplements, I have provided a novel construction of a lifting arm I0ywhich has a fulcrum II on a support I2 secured to the front axlesupport I3 of the tractor 8. Arm I will extend over the top of the rearaxle housing I 4.

The particular design of said arm Ill serves to permit,the conventionaltractor lifting mechanism, to raise or lift, several times moreimplement load, on the tractor, without` having'to resort to anymechanical changes in the conventional lifting mechanism. Theapplication of simple levermechanics'to the arm I0, as shown in Figures5V and 6 of the drawings, will prove the above statement.

As a statutory prerequisite of disclosing at least one known'way tooperate or actuate the arm I0. I have placed a worm I5 onto aconventional power take-oi shaft a. This worm I 5 will drive aworm-wheel I 6. Suitable clutch and reversing mechanism, not shown,would obviously be applied, to the worm I5, in order to regulate the.clockwise or counterclockwise movement of the wormwheel IB.

Secured to the worm-wheel I6 is a crank I1 which'serves to transmitvthemovement of said worm-wheel IG to the' main lifting arms LII). A slotI8, in arm III, provides connection with crank Il. On the outer endportionv I9 of arm. I0, I

connect my improved disk implement 28. There will be two arms Ill eachparallel to each other on the' same vertical plane. They will move as aunit. In the vicinity of the rear axle housing I6, I form a bridge-shape2I, in the arm ID. This bridge-shape 2I may obviously be eliminated andthe arm Ill made straight if so desired.

Arm I0 is thus moved in an upward direction and/cr downward direction,on fulcrum II, by the corresponding movement of crank I'I moved by theworm-wheel IB.

The only difference between the operation of this mechanical lift I6 anda conventional hydraulic lift is that, the crank I1, in a hydraulic liftmechanism, would be actuated by a hydraulic piston instead of aWorm-wheel I6.

A' top connecting link 22 is solely provided to maintain a horizontalposition to the disk implement 20 when it is operating in the soil. SeeFigure 5 of the drawings. Connecting link 22 is secured on one endportion thereof to the tractor 8 by meansof bracket 23 whichis fastenedto the top of the differential gear housing 24. On its opposite endportion, it is connected with the up- Vrights 25 of the cantileverrigid-hitch 26 of the disk implement 20.

Y Disk implement 20 comprises a single steel shape frame 2l to which acantilever rigid-hitch 26 is connected. This cantilever rigid-hitch 26extends over the tops of front gang 28 of disk blades 30 and serves toconnect the frame zlrwith the tractor 8. Cantilever rigid-hitch 26provides a close-up hitch withthe tractor 8 and prevents the diskimplement 2U from pulling away from v the tractor 8 on hillside Work. Anotable feature of the cantilever rigid-hitch 26 is that it connectswith the disk implement 2li at a place located between the both gangs ofdisk blades. This said hitch 26, while shown to be made up of steelshapes, is rectangular in shape and it may be formed a steel castingV ifso desired. Cantilever rigid-hitch 2B permits the disk implement frame2l to be offset to either side of it.

On the market, at the present day', there are several makes ofconventional tractors with hydraulic or mechanical lifts.'Ihesesaid-conventional tractors all have similar connecting arms ofvarious proportions. My cantilever rigid-hitch is formed a universaldesign for connection, to the various conventional tractors, withoutdeparture from the design thereof illustrated and with but slightchanges in proportion only.

Disk implement 20 is as heretofore stated really four tools in one. Itmay be called a kit of implements. Heretofore no ,disk harrow wasadapted to be changed intoa disk furrower or a disk ridger or a diskditcher Without the use of extra parts or otherwise. Nor was any diskfurrower adapted to be changed into a disk harrow, nor a disk ridgerinto a disk furrower, nor a disk ditcher into a disk harrow, yet this isnow disclosed by my four-in-one disk implement 20.

I am enabled to make these said four-tools-lnone by the reason of theconstruction of a single disk blade 30 'mounted on a single discbladebracket it would be impossible for me to make three other tools outof `the disk harrow shown inFigure 1. l

By this, four-in-one implement, great saving inmaterial is accomplished,for example: In a conventional five-foot three inch offset disk harrow,which is the same size as the disk narrow shown in Figure 1 of thedrawings, fourteen disk blades are used; in a conventional diskfurrower, of `similar size, six disk blades are used; in a conventionaldisk ridger, four disk blades are used;

in a conventional disk ditcher, six disk blades are used. Therefore inthe four conventional disk implements mentioned there would be somethirty disk bladesused not mentioning other elements whereas, in mydiskimplement 20 there would be required but twelve disk blades neededto form any one of the above mentioned four tools. This amounts to asaving, in material, in disk blades alone,` of about one hundredpercent. Further there would be required three additional frames in theconventional implements, so ih frame construction, it can be said, thatmy isk implement saves over three hundred percent in materials for frameconstruction.

With the use of one tractor, no farmer ever has the occasion to use anytwo, of the four, above mentioned implements at the same time.

' In the disk implement 20, ythe number of parts required to make thedisk harrow, are the maximum number of parts required for the said, diskimplement 20, in other words, no additional parts are necessary to makeany one of the other three implements, viz., ridger or ditcher orfurrower.

By referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a five-footthree-inch disk harrow 34 comprising a front gang 28 of disk blades, sixin number, and marked g, ,h, i, lc, Z and m. Each disk blade 30 ismounted on an individual bearing bracket 3|. Each bracket 3| isindividually secured to the central frame member 2l. Running parallel tothe said front gang of disk blades is a rear gang 29 of disk blades 30having similar mountings and securement as the said front gang 28. Sixdisk blades also form this Y rear gang 29 and these are marked a, b, c,d, e

and f. The said 'rear gang 29, of disk blades, is in staggered formationrelative to the location of the front gang 28 of disk blades. Each diskblade 30 of the front and rear gangs has a xed plow angle 32 andsucti-on angle 33.

Referring to Figure 2. To quickly change the disk harrow 34 into a diskfurrower` 35 I simply remove the disk blades, of the rear gang 29,marked b, d, and'e and the disk blades, of the front gang 28, marked h,i and Z, together ywith their respective brackets 3|. However, diskblade a, of the rear gang 29,'is moved from its original position assh-own by the dotted lines and disk blade 'm is likewise moved from itsoriginal position as shown by the dotted lines 52. No other parts areadded in this change over from a harrow 34 to a furrower 35 and the sameidentical frame 21 and hitch 26 is used therewith.

Using the harrow 34, in Figure 1, to illustrate the change over to adisk ridger 36 as shown in Figure 3; disk blades marked a, b, and c areremoved from the rear gang 29, and disk blades marked k, l and m arelikewise removed from the front gang 28, together with their respectivebrackets. No other change is necessary.

Using the harrow 34, in Figure 1, to illustrate the change over to adisk dtcher 31 as shown in Figure 4; the disk blades marked d, e, and fare removed from the rear gang 29 and disk blades g, h, and i areremoved fromV the front gang 2B, together with their respectivebrackets. No other change is necessary.

To reconvert any of the implements back into any one of the other threetools, the necessary brackets 3| together with their respective diskblades 30 are merely replaced into their required position on the frame21 to suit the tool desired.

Referring in detail to the single bearing bracket 3| whichis arranged togive a set plow angle 32 and a suction angle 33 to a single disk blade38, and by further reference to'Figure 7 of the drawings; a preferredsteel casting 38 serves to provide a bearing 39 which is angled tocreate a suction angle 33 to the said disk. blade 30, while its base 40serves to provide the plow angle 32 thereto, in its connection with theframe 21.

Into the bearing end portion 39, a removable bushing 4| is mounted andsecured from longitudinal movement by means of a bolt and nut 42, whichholds the bushing 4| to the bracket 3|. A rotatable shaft 43 is mountedin the bushing 4| and it is limited in its longitudinal movement by themeans of its head 44 bearing against the fixed bushing end 45. Acylindrical washer 46 is pressed cnto the shaft 43 and it has relativerotation with `said shaft. This shaft 43 may be welded to the washer 46,if it is so desired. Washer 48 has a large bearing surface 4T to takecare of the end thrust set-up by the disk blade 3|). A grease seal, fora dust-proof precaution, is provided by the outward extendingcylindrical lip 48\of washer 46. Said Washer 46 has a series of holesadapted to receive a series of plow bolts 49, which are provided tosecure the disk blade 30 to the washer 46. This bolting 49 arrangementpermits the disk blade 30, washer 46 and 'shaft 43 to rotate as a unit,while the bushing 4| is secured against rotation. A grease fitting 50 isprovided for lubrieating this bearing.

What I claim is;

1. In a disc harrow constructed to be pulled by a tractor and raised orlowered by a lift mechanism made part of said tractor; a steel shape; aseries of forwardly and rearwardly extending individual brackets,comprising a single rotatable series of forwardly and rearwardlyextendingv bearing brackets individually and shiftably mounted on saidsteel shape in a disc harrow formation beingarranged to form a furrowerformation; a single rotatable disc blade mounted on each said bracket,each said disc blade inclined vertically and horizontally; a connectionfrom the said steel shape to the lift mechanism in the tractor.

3. In a disc harrow constructed -to be pulled Vby a tractor and raisedor lowered by a lift mechanism made part of said tractor; a series offorwardly and rearwardly extending individual brackets; each brackethaving a single rotatable disc blade mounted thereto; a bar detachablysecured to and supported by the said brackets and blades; said barconstructed to provide a disc harrow formation of disc blades or a discfurrower formation of disc blades; a connection to the lift mechanism ofthe tractor.

Y 4. In a disc harrow constructed to be pulled by a tractor'and raisedor lowered by a lift mechanism made part of said tractor; a series offorwardly Vand rearwardly extending individual brackets; each bracketcomprising a single rotatable disc blade; each disc blade inclinedvertically and horizontally; a bar detachably secured to and supportedby the said brackets; a hitch,I to the lift mechanism of the tractor,shiftably mounted on said bar; said bar constructed to provide the `discharrow formation of. disc blades and to permit conversion of the discharroW fori'- mation` into a disc furrower formation of disc blades andyto reverse the saidformations.

-5. In adisc harrow constructed to be pulled by a tractor and raised orlowered vby a lift-mechanism made part of said tractor; a series offorwardly and Y rearwardly extending bearing brackets; a singlerotatable disc blade inclined vertically and horizontally and mounted oneach said bracket; a bar detachably secured to said brackets; `a hitch,tothe lift mechanism of the tractor, mounted Von said bar; said disch'arrow formation of discblades constructed to permit conversiontherefrom to provide a disc furrower formation of disc blades or a discridger formation of disc blades or a disc ditcher formation of discblades and to permit a reversal of the said formation of disc bladesinto each others formation.

6. In a disc harrow constructed to be pulled y wardly and rearwardlyextending individual bearing brackets; each bracket providing a mountingfor a single rotatable disc vblade being inclined vertically andhorizontally; a bar detachably secured to said brackets and constructedto provide a. disc harrow formation to the disc blades and to provide aconversion arrangement of disc blades to form either a disc furrowerformation of disc blades or a disc ridger formation of disc blades oradisc ditcher formation of disc bladesY and to permit a reversal of anyone of the'said disc blade formations into their former formation; a

l hitch mounted on the bar for connecting the bar to the tractor. 15

7. In a tractor having a lift mechanism, the combination of: a discharrow constructed to be raised or lowered by the lift mechanism andcomprising a parallel series of forwardly and rearwardly extendingbearing brackets, each bracket having a single rotatable Y disc blademounted thereto, each blade being inclined vertically and horizontally,a bar detachably secured to the said brackets, a cantilever hitchshiftably mounted on said bar and constructed to connect said barjto alifting lever having a fulcrum support secured inthe vicinity of thefront axle of the tractor.

8. A combination as defined in claim 7 in which a. crank is connectedwith the lifting lever and is constructed to be operated by the liftingmechanism in the tractor for raising or lowering the"

